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How to Tell When Something Is Ripe ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Look for avocados that yield to firm, but gentle, pressure — the fruit should feel a little mushy, but not soft; that means it is ready to eat. Ripe Haas avocados are darker in color than avocados that aren’t ready to eat. Look for avocados that are dark green to nearly black. To ripen an avocado, place it in sunlight. Warmer temperatures ripen fruits faster. Or place your avocados in a brown paper bag along with a banana and roll the top closed. Ripe bananas release a lot of ethylene, which triggers ripening in mature fruit. The paper bag traps the ethylene gas and speeds up the ripening process. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT One of the best ways to tell if a pineapple is ripe? Smell it! Ripe pineapples typically have a sweet smell at the bottom, near the base of the pineapple. Color is another indicator. The more yellow a pineapple is, the riper the fruit will be. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Melons like cantaloupe should be firm all around, but not too soft or too hard, and have a sweet smell at the button end. Melons should always feel heavy for the size. You can ripen a melon in a paper bag with a banana or apple, too.

42 ROUSES J ANUARY | F EBRUARY 2022

PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO